This Florida county is experiencing a school choice boom

Thousands of students in one Florida county are leaving traditional public schools for charter and private schools, thanks in part to school choice options offered by the state.

Hillsborough County, which includes Tampa, had one of the largest population gains in the nation in 2022, according to the United States Census Bureau.

But despite the population increase, public schools in the county have lost hundreds of students, reported Tampa Bay Times.

On the other hand, charter schools have increased enrollment by more than 2,500 students and nearly 1,000 students have been awarded scholarships for private education. 

A similar trend can be seen in many places across the state. 

On Friday, for example, Pensacola Catholic High School in Florida began the construction to add three new classrooms after recent gains in enrollment, according to WEAR.  

“With the scholarships and people wanting to come, we suddenly grew from last year to this year,” Sister Kierstin Martin, the principal, said. “I think that was a big factor in the sudden jump in our enrollment.” 

In March, Gov. Ron DeSantis made private school scholarships available to all K-12 students in the state regardless of family income. 

While not all schools accept the scholarship funds, Pensacola Catholic does. Its enrollment increased by 50 students over the summer break, according to WEAR.